


the future is now

by Niriiun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Dragon AU, I haven't decided yet, M/M, Multi, and maybe some kurotsukki, probably some iwaoi later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 10:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3566720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niriiun/pseuds/Niriiun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akaashi did not receive a Bondmate that day. No, for he had been rejected by the mighty dragons, and was thus doomed to a life of condemnation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the future is now

**Author's Note:**

> okay so there's gonna be some confusing terms but I'll list them at the end of this chapter so you can get a sense of them!
> 
> in other news this took me approximately four hours to write and was originally supposed to be an au based off of eon/eona but it got too complicated to plan out and I just went with this
> 
> I am actually proud of it for once so enjoy!!

Long, long ago, back before elven cities and bloody wars, the dragons ruled the era. They were magnificent beasts, flying high in the sky and lording over the rising mountains. It wasn't long before a small village of humans settled at the base of the mountain range known as Septem. 

The humans feared the mighty creatures at first. Many were afraid their homes and farms would be burned and destroyed. But the dragons did not destroy the homes of humans. No, quite the opposite. They learned to co-exist with them, many dragons forming strong bonds with a single person. Together they rode the skies and fought to protect their territory. It was a joyful union that later became the tradition of the tiny village.

Great dragons of nature named Viridi helped crops grow and flourish. In the winter, the race of fire dragons known as Simia heated their homes. If the rain did not fall, beautiful water beasts called Caerulus replenished the ground anew. Together dragons and humans carved out a peaceful existance for each other.

Soon it became a tradition to pair a newly born dragon with a newborn child. They grew up together, going through every first imaginable. First flight and first steps, to first speech and first shedding. The human and the dragon grew up together.

No one bothered the peaceful mountains for a very long time. Their crops grew, their children were born, and the beings lived in harmony. Peace, however, does not last for eternity.

-

"Akaashi, make sure you don't stay out too late."

"I won't, don't worry." Akaashi's eyes flicked to the form standing in the doorway. It was his mother, her hair short and black like his own. Her green eyes were wise, and age seemed to have barely left a mark on her beautiful face. Nvori was a good mother.

"Are you sure you don't want Kaleth to fly you?" He looked to the large dragon. Her scales were mostly brown with tinges of gold. In just the right light she seemed to shimmer a brilliant fire red. Kaleth was a nature dragon, a Viridi, that his mother had grown up with. The dragon was as gentle as his mother but could be just as stern. 

Akaashi shook his head. "I'll be fine. I can walk." He waved before bolting out the door before she could say anymore. The boy loved his mother but she could be a bit protective.

Outside his home, the village was abuzz with activity. Women in long flowing dresses danced around the homes, weaving flowers and other decorations into the fencing. Men of all ages were working on erecting a statue in the center of the village; it was a fierce dragon carved from work and painted by the Elders of Old. Dragons of all sizes had gathered and were doing their best to help while some of the younger ones zipped around in the sky. If he looked hard enough he could spot their Bondmates riding upon them.

He turned away from the busy people. Here in the village known as Sanguine, children were paired with a dragon eye on the day of their birth. Most dragons hatched within hours but some took a day or two, the longest being four days. The decorations and the sudden flow of food and people meant an arrival; someone was due to give birth. And soon one of the great ice dragons known as Glaciem would arrive bearing an egg from one of their mothers. It was a joyous ocassion for the village.

Akaashi felt his heart drop to his stomach. Sanguine had fallen on hard times twenty-five years ago, and not a single child was born for nearly seven years. The town had rejoiced in the announcement of his mother's impregnation. It seemed this broke whatever curse had fallen upon them. Soon other women were expecting as well. Celebrations lasted up until she went into birthing. But at the time of his birth, no dragon had appeared with an egg. The town had done months of preparing, of getting ready for this moment, hoping for some aid.

There had been nothing. At first the village suspected the dragons of Septem had abandoned them. This was proven wrong with the birth of the second child, young Oikawa Tooru, who was graced with an egg from the great Rhaetha. The Caerulus dragon had been Bondmates with their first village Elder and was nearing her death period.

Every single child born after him received an egg as normal. The Elders were confused and his mother was distraught. One of the particularly superstitious Elders was the first to say it, the first to call him Tainted. He had been rejected by the mighty beasts of Septem and thus would be doomed to a life of ground and loneliness. Akaashi became shunned and thus his personality became self-reliant and quiet.

The poor child spent most of his days alone.

His coming of age ceremony, known as Ad Aetatem in the ancient tongue, was passed over. The village did not celebrate and he did not push for them to. Akaashi became the age to leave without anyone to tell him no. And yet, even with this newfound freedom, he couldn't bring himself to leave Sanguine. His mother was here and perhaps that was part of it, but he had grown somewhat attached to the place he had called his home for eighteen years.

Akaashi stepped back as two young children, probably nine or ten, ran by. He waited as two dragons, the size of a bigger horse, went flying after them. What must it be like to have a Bondmate? Kaleth had been the prominent dragon in his life but she wasn't his _own_. The dragon was kind to him his entire life and he was very grateful, but it wasn't the same. He stared longingly after the pair that had long-since vanished.

"Akaashi, Akaashi! Hey! Can you hear me?"

He blinked as a hand appeared in his line of vision, waving around wildly. Oh great. "Bokuto." The shorter male dipped his head in greeting.

"Why the down face? It's nice out today!" The man known as Bokuto Koutaro was a loud eccentric person from the other side of the Septem mountain range. His hair was a mess of white and black, sticking up in all directions. His personality was erratic, Bokuto uncaring of whether he was loud or not. Sharp yellow eyes took in everything at once-- just from a single glance you wouldn't expect him to be loud. 

Bokuto had come to them at the age of fourteen; he was twenty now. The young male had arrived on the back of a young Simia. How they had come to be Bondmates was a mystery. Sanguine was thought to be the only place with such a thing happening. It was not impossible though, and the village allowed him to stay. They'd become somewhat friends over the years.

"I'm not down. This is just my face." He blinked once more before turning away. "I'm busy today. You'll have to bug someone else."

"Eeeeeh? But I just got here! You can't leave!"

Akaashi sighed. He really didn't have time for this today. "It's very important that I make it on time. I need to go."

Bokuto drooped a bit. "But I ..." Typically Bokuto behaviour.

A small smile appeared on his lips. "I'll be back by tonight and we can go starwatching again. How does that sound?" 

The other male immediately perked back up. "Really? Do you mean it? Uveri and I will be ready and watching!" Bokuto saluted him. "Where are you going anyway? You better not be going on an adventure without me."

Akaashi let out a short laugh. "Adventure? Me? Nothing like that." He glanced around, lowering his voice a fraction. "I'm off to visit the Dragon Priests at the base of the mountain. Mother said that since I have no Bondmate I won't be able to do the full ceremony should I ever get married. She wants me to see what they can do." The man didn't plan on getting married but it would ease her fears a bit and he really cared for his mother.

"Uveri and I could fly you there! It'd save you some time!"

He shook his head. "I'd rather walk. Mother offered Kaleth to me as well but I declined."

"Hmm ... Could I walk with you for a bit then? I have something I wanna tell you."

Akaashi glanced at the sun then back to Bokuto. It was very rarely that the Dragon Priests accepted visitors and if he was late there was no telling when they would agree to meet with him again. He really needed to leave if he wanted to make it in time. "Sure, but we have to leave right now. Come on." He began walking before he even finished speaking.

Bokuto easily kept up with him, and Akaashi assumed Uveri knew where he was going. His mother had once explained Bondmates shared such strong connections that they could sense each other's thoughts. He was hit with longing once more but it quickly passed.

They were quiet until they exited Sanguine. Shockingly, this was the quietest Bokuto had ever been; he was impressed. As soon as they were clear of the village gate he opened his mouth to speak. "People in the village have begun getting nightmares. They're worried because no Reliqua have been brought to Sanguine in nearly fifty years. Ukai accused Ruick of causing it but everyone knows Caliginis dragons can't send out nightmares. I always knew he hated the dark race."

"How did Iwaizumi take it? Probably not well." Akaashi kept his gaze forward.

"Not well at all. He was very angry. Ruick's one of the dragons on the gentler side; she's like a mother to everyone. She could sense it too probably; no one's seen the two of them since yesterday." He wasn't worried at the information. Iwaizumi could take care of himself pretty easily.

"I thought Reliqua dragons were supposed to be extinct. They died out a long time ago remember? Of course there wouldn't be any in the village."

"You're missing the point, Akaashi! With no Reliqua it means constant nightmares! If no one sleeps then no work gets done. Someone has to go find one if this baby isn't given an egg."

Sharp silver eyes flicked to Bokuto's face. "That someone isn't going to be you. The Reliqua's mountain is Tainted. You would die before you even reached the top." 

Bokuto didn't argue with him. It struck Akaashi as odd and he scanned his body for a moment. Moments passed before it hit him. "... they want me to go."

Around them, the forest rustled as a breeze passed through it. A bird or two chirped in the distance and the sound of the river flowing was but a faint noise on the wind.

The air around the Reliqua's mountain was black and suffocating. Jagged rocks and sudden cliffs made the climb to the main lair very difficult. Only one person had ever made the journey and they had never returned.

That man had been his father.

He didn't have a dragon which would make it even harder. Akaashi wasn't particularly skilled in anything but he wasn't bad either. The man had quick wits and easy learning on his side. Swordplay? Easy. Smithing? Done. Fishing? Down to an art. He'd even learned the basics of weaving and his mother had taught him how to make clothes. With no dragon he could not perform tasks that included flying, leaving him with other options on the ground.

"Yeah yeah! But I'm going with you so there's nothing to fear!" Bokuto gave one of the biggest smiles Akaashi had ever seen.

"I don't remember agreeing to go. Have someone else do it."

"But I already said you would!"

Akaashi's walking came to a halt and he whipped his head towards Bokuto. "What? Why the hell would you do that!?" He felt actual rage boil up within him. Next month was when he was setting out on his own; he'd been planning it for a very long time. Leaving on the full moon was always the best time. There was no way he could go to Reliqua and make it back in time to leave. "You may seek adventure and glory but I don't. Tell the Elders I can't complete this task. I'm sorry, Bokuto."

He didn't wait for an answer and hurried away from the stunned Bokuto. Akaashi wanted nothing to do with such a quest.

-

The walk to the temple lasted about an hour. it was a good thing he had brought water and food with him; he was tired by the time he reached the mountain, and from what he had heard, meeting with the Dragon Priests took a lot out of the human body. It would be especially hard for Akaashi, who didn't have a Bondmate to take off the strain with him.

He waited outside the doors, staring at the intricate patterns in the gold doors. They were kept clean and shining, looking brand new despite being over 500 years old. This wasn't the first time Akaashi had seen them.

He waited, and waited, and waited some more. Was he late? His mother would be upset with him and he'd have to hit Bokuto over the head when he got back if it were true. Starting to lose hope, he was about to turn away when the door let out a violent shriek. As clean as they were the hinges needed fixing.

The door came to a halt, open barely a crack. "Are you ... Akaashi Keiji?" The voice was low and from the tone it was easy to tell its owner was old. Ancient even.

"Yes, I'm Akaashi Keiji."

There was a pause and he was afraid they were going to turn him away. "Come inside. Quickly, now."

He took a deep breath and prepared himself, stepping through the large golden door. It swung shut behind him almost immediately. Akaashi's eyes fought to adjust to the dim hall. The corridor was lit by candles mounted in silver holds, attached to tall red pillars holding the ceiling up. Red and gold tapestries hung on either side of the hall and the the rug underneath his feet flickered like fire in the candlelight. He felt awe run through him; very few people had ever seen the inside of the Dragon Temple.

"Come, come, we don't have all day." Akaashi's eyes flicked to the one who had spoken. He was an older man, hunched over and holding a long, tapered candle. His face was wise but his lips were quirked into an unfriendly frown. The man started off down the hall and he hurried to catch up.

There was no time for a proper bow and the man hadn't asked for one so Akaashi didn't bother. His shoes tapped on the floor as he caught up. He was led down an even longer hallway before the man stopped, pulling open a door. Akaashi looked between the door and the man before ducking inside. It slammed shut behind, making him jump from the sudden noise.

The room had a high ceiling with a single hole in the top. A bit of light streamed through it, illuminating the purple and gold cloth draped around the room. In the center sat a fire, crackling as some tossed a branch within it. The stranger was cloaked in dark red robes, silver and yellow stitched into it to make them shimmer. A hand shot out to motion for him to take a seat.

Akaashi was hesitant but sank to the floor nonetheless. The cloaked being lifted their hand to their chest. "My name Hir. Your name Akaashi. No speaking unless asked." He nodded to show he had heard, folding his hands in his lap.

Hir picked up a bone from next to him and tossed it in the fire. He assumed the man was a Priest here but didn't ask. Akaashi was shocked when he reached into the fire and pulled the bone out, hand - and robes - unscathed. The bone was broken in half and silence fell upon them once more.

Before he could react, Hir had shoved him against the floor. The Priest hissed in his face, scattering spit onto his cheek and forehead. "Witchcraft! Demon! Defiler!" Hir wildly swung his hands and before Akaashi could really comprehend what was going on, four shallow scratches were left in his cheek.

This jolted him into action.

He kicked Hir from his body. The Priest was surprisingly light but it wasn't unusual. Akaashi rolled away from where he was laying and bolted to the door. With this being a visit to a temple he had not brought his knife. Tugging on the handle, he desperately tried to pull it open. Hir's hands gripped his shoulders and wrenched him back, tossing him towards the fire. The heat licked at his face but he was lucky enough to land just shy of it.

Akaashi scrambled to his feet. He wasn't sure what was going on. His mind was racing as fast as his heart. Wait, the bone. The bone was sharp. Arm shooting out from his body, he gripped the splinter tightly between his fingers and rolled to his feet. Hir hissed at him from the corner of the room. There was a sickening feeling in his stomach; he didn't think Hir was human.

"That's enough, Hir." The strong voice broke them from their death stare. Akaashi's eyes flicked to the source. A man had arrived from behind the elaborate curtains, his body covered in dark blue robes the colour of midnight; white dots suggested stars. "How rude of you to attack our guest."

"Beast! Monster! Demon!" Hir hissed.

"I said that's _enough._ " The being shrank into the shadows.

It became clear to him in that moment Hir wasn't a Priest.

"Who are you?" The commanding man looked to him.

"Who am I? My name is irrelevant. But yours ... yours is not, Akaashi Keiji."

He took a step back as the nameless man advanced towards him. "What's going on here? Why was I attacked?"

The man didn't answer. He stared down at the fire as Akaashi watched him. Only the sound of the crackling fire could be heard. "You see, Akaashi Keiji, Hir is a Tracker. He hunts people we want him to find. His success rate is usually 100% although there have been ... setbacks."

"... so you're looking for me."

Tilting his head back, he laughed. "Of course not! You're not our target. You just happen to have the smell of the one we _are_ looking for on you. Hir mistaked you for them I guess so now our only option is to have you lead us back to your village."

Akaashi narrowed his eyes a bit. His heart skipped a beat; he was truly in trouble. "And if I don't?"

"I did say Hir's a Tracker right? It doesn't take much to find a scent you know. And yours is ... a little more unique."

Unique? What did he mean by that? "What do you mean?"

"Ah, but if I told you, then it wouldn't be as fun. Now, Akaashi Keiji, you better run, before I let Hir get his claws on you."

Akaashi felt his entire body go numb. He knew he wasn't joking.

His only option was to flee.

**Author's Note:**

> okay so I'm hoping to make this into chaptered story so we'll see how that goes ;u;
> 
> the terms might've been confusing so here you go!!
> 
> dragon terms;  
> viridi - the term for nature/earth dragons  
> simia - the term for fire dragons  
> caerulus - the term for water dragons  
> glaciem - the term for ice dragons  
> reliqua - the term for dream dragons  
> caliginis - the term for dark dragons  
> inficere - the term for poison dragons
> 
> places;  
> septem - the name of the seven mountains the dragons live in  
> sanguine - the name of akaashi & bokuto's village
> 
> I'm a nerd so the title is from starset's song the future is now and this chapter title is from their song it has begun! they're a really good band and I highly recommend them!!


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